Electric hand lantern



ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN Filed Nov. 16, 1934 INVENTORS JOHN W BAER o fr RE//v//A/ro BY g ATTORNEY o nu 1 8 w n3 1. \4 nl U\ 1 x3 m w m 6 D x I. 2 \J 2 w 2 7 1| irirl Iz 2 2 3 L w 9 41|" 2 Arm 5 4l Patented Nov. 24, 1936 Unire TET GFFICE ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN tion of Delaware Application November 16, 1934, Serial No. '753,268

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electric hand lanterns of the kind in which replaceable batteries constitute the source of electricity.

One object of the present invention is a hand 5 lantern of the character described which is provided with a readily insertable and replaceable unit containing the sources of light and electrical energy. Accordingly, a transparent hollow body member is provided with a removable cap and a combined lamp socket support and battery container, as a separable unit, is adapted to be removably inserted within the transparent body and preferably held in place by the cap.

Another object of the invention is a circuit l5 closer adapted to cooperate with the handle of the lantern for the purpose of automatically closing the circuit when the lantern is suspended by the handle, but which is normally in circuit open position.

20 Still another object of the invention is the pro- Vision of a cap or top for the lantern with which the circuit closer is associated.

The invention also seeks an electric hand lantern of the character described which is practical 25 from the standpoint of ease and cheapness of manufacture and durability and simplicity in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment will be more apparent from the following detailed description,

30 taken in connection with the accompanying dra ing, illustrating one embodiment by which the invention may be realized and in which:

Figure l is a view in vertical section showing the hand lantern of this invention, the circuit 35 closing bail being in closed circuit position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken in the plane indicated by the line 2--2 of Figure l and looking in the direction of the arrows, the circuit closing bail being in open circuit position;

40 and Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken in the plane indicated by the line 3 3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the illustrated embodiment, the electric hand 45 lantern of this invention comprises generally a transparent body or globe 5, which is preferably integral with a base portion 6 formed as a base receiving member by the provision of threads 'I blown into the glass of which the body member 50 is conveniently made, the cylindrical base portion 6 having threaded thereon a base or bottom 8, say. of metal, adapted to stand upon a horizontal support and hold the lantern in an upright position.

The transparent body member 5 is preferably 5 formed at its upper end with a tubular portion Ill (Cl. 24U-10.63)

whereof the interior surface is conveniently cylindrical and the outer surface, near the top thereof, is also formed with threads II for the reception of a top l2, also conveniently of metal. Above the threads the outer peripheral surface, as at I3, is cylindrical.

This cylindrical portion I3 receives a substantially U-shaped carrier member I5, which is con- Veniently shaped from a relatively narrow ribbon of sumciently stiff conductive material, such as metal, so that the interior surfaces thereof are cylindrical to receive or hold a battery, shown in the illustrated embodiment as a single cell I6. The vertical sides il of the carrier frame are of a length slightly greater than the average height of a dry cell battery, the lower portions of the side members il being bent inwardly and at an angle, as at i8, to form, in effect, a shoulder, if desired, below which the battery cannot extend. The bottom of the frame 2U is conveniently iiat and serves as a lamp socket support being formed on the axis of the carrier with an aperture 22 conveniently mutilated to form a thread, as will be understood, as a lamp socket for the reception of the threaded base 23 of the lamp 24. The elevation of the shoulder I8 above the support 2li is less than the length of the threaded portion of the lamp base 23 so that when a lamp is threaded into the aperture 22, the central or positive terminal 25 of the battery will rest upon the central terminal of the lamp base to form an electrical connection therewith. It will, of course, be understood that the battery I6 is wrapped or encircled with a non-conducting casing 26 such as the usual wrapper of brous material and hence the zinc cup is out of electrical contact with the carrier frame il although the bottom of the cup is exposed to serve as the negative terminal 21 of the cell. At its upper end the carrier frame is bent outwardly, as at 28, and downwardly as the hooks 29 to flt over the upper edge of the transparent body 5 at the cylindrical portion I3 thereof, as shown. Thus the hook portions 28, 29 are in electrical connection with one terminal of the lamp 2li.

In the illustrated embodiment the cap I2 is shown as taking the form of the usual lantern cap or top resting on and in electrical connection with the hook shaped supporting portions 28, 29 of the lamp socket support ll, I8, 2l), and having the upper cylindrical cup shaped portion 30 whereof the periphery is formed, in diametrically opposite portions thereof, with the apertures 3| through which the ends 32 of the bail 33 extend and whereby the bail is pivotally mounted on the ,utilized as circuit closers to complete the electrical circuit through the battery to the central terminal of the lamp by contacting with the negative terminal 21 of the battery. The inturned ends 32 of the bail are therefore turned downwardly, as at 36, and then again turned inwardly, as at 31, to lie in a plane well below the transverse plane of the openings 3l and at a distance suflicient to contact with the bottom 21 of the Zinc cup of the battery I6 when the bail is in a plane parallel to or including the axis of the structure I1, I8, 20. Obviously, therefore, when the bail lies in the transverse position illustrated in Figure 2 or at intermediate position, the ends 31 are out of contact with the bottom of the negative terminal of the battery, whereas when the lantern is held in the hand or suspended so that the bail Voccupies the position illustrated in Figure l, the

ends 31 contact with the battery to complete the circuit andV illuminate the lamp. Desirably, the resiliency in the ends 32, 36, 31, is such that, irrespective of the exact position of the battery in the carrier frame I1, I8, 2U, the ends 31 will adjust themselves in making contact.

In the preferred embodiment, the battery is positioned in the support so as to be retained out of contact withV the ends 31 when in circuit open position. To this end a battery positioning element takes the form of a ring or annulus 40, fixed in the cap, as by the inwardly spun groove 4I, so

` that no upward displacement of the battery is possible. This stop 40 is preferably of non-conductive material, such as libre, so that no short circuit can occur between the cap I2 and the negative terminal of the battery when the circuit closer is in open circuit position of Figure 2. The ends 36, 31 of the bail are, however, so shaped as to pass through the opening 4I in the annulus 40 to contact with the battery terminal 21 in circuit closing position.

It will thus be seen that a very inexpensive electric hand lantern of few parts is provided in which the globe may be blown out of glass to receive a metal base and a metal cap. The hanger or battery carrying lamp socket is readily formed from a single strip of metal in a simple pressing operation and the cap and bail are similarly made of metal in a simple fashion. The device may be so constructed as to receive a single cell or a battery of cells.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, configuration and disposition of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole, as well as in the form of circuit closer incorporated in the invention and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing specification or illustrations in the accompanying drawing except as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. In an electric hand lantern, in combination, a transparent globe-like body member formed with threaded cylindrical upper and lower ends, at least said upper end being formed with a circular opening, a U-shaped conductive carrier frame formed with an aperture in its lowermost part whereof the edge is distorted to receive a lamp base and with outwardly turned upper ends to overlie the edge of the opening and be supported within the body and receive a battery, the central terminal of which is in electrical contact with the central terminal of the lamp, a removable base threaded on to the lower end of the body, a removable conductive cap for the globelike body member formed with threads to engage the threads on the upper cylindrical portion of the body member and to contact with the ends of the carrier and a circuit closer adapted to selectively complete the electrical circuit comprising a bail whereof the ends are pivoted in the cap and so shaped as to contact with the other terminal of the battery when the bailis in one position of its movement.

2. In an electric hand lantern, in combination, a transparent globe-like body member formed with a threaded upper end, said upper end being formed with an opening, a U-shaped conductive carrier frame formed with a lamp socket support in its lowermost part and with outwardly turned ends to overlie the edge of the opening to be supported within the body member and receive a battery, a lamp socket carried with said support, the central terminal of said battery being in electrical contact with the central terminal of a lamp in said socket, a removable conductive cap for the globe-like body member formed with threads to engage the threads on the upper cylindrical portion of the body member and to contact with the ends of the carrier and a circuit closer adapted to selectively complete the electrical circuit comprising a bail whereof the ends are pivoted in the cap and so shaped as to contact with the other terminal of the battery when the bail is in one position of its movement.

3. In an electric hand lantern, in combination, a transparent body member formed with an opening in its upper portion, a U-shaped conductive carrier frame having a lamp socket in its lowermost part and with outwardly extending portions to overlie the edge of the opening to be supported within the body member and receive a battery, the central terminal of which is in electrical connection with the central terminal of a lamp in said socket, a removable conductive cap for the opening in the body member and contacting with the outwardly extending portions of the carrier and a circuit closer adapted to selectively complete the electrical circuit comprising a bail whereof the ends are pivoted in the cap and so shaped as to contact with the other terminal of the battery when the bail is in one position of its movement.

JOHN W. BAER. OTTO KARL REINHARDT. 

